


A Cure for Exhaustion

by ArliahTheBard (arliah)



Category: Open Heart (Visual Novels)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, just one giant ball of fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:22:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24623899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arliah/pseuds/ArliahTheBard
Relationships: Rafael Aveiro/Bryce Lahela
Comments: 4
Kudos: 9





	A Cure for Exhaustion

Bryce dragged his feet as he walked through the door to his apartment. He had just gotten home from another 16-hour shift, the third time in a row this week. Edenbrook had been struggling with budget cuts and that meant longer hours for interns and residents. Not that he was complaining, no. He was starting to get the hang of it, getting along with the attending surgeons settling into his routine at the hospital, and more importantly, performing surgeries. It did, however, also mean that he had very little time to hang out with his friends like he used to and just unwind. God, when was the last time he had a good night’s sleep?

He kicked off his shoes without even bothering to place them neatly in the shoe cupboard near the doorway like Keiki always told him to. Must. Get. Some. Sleep. The few feet from the entrance to the living room felt like miles. Once he reached the finish line, he threw himself on the couch and buried his face under the decorative pillows. Wait. Since when did he own decorative pillows? He lifted his head to look around the apartment. It was more colorful than he remembered, all right. New curtains, some indoor plants he would probably eventually forget to water. Keiki’s work, probably. She was always complaining about how dull and lifeless his place was. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was sleep. He made a mental note to talk to Keiki about it as soon as he woke up.

It hadn’t even been a minute since he closed his eyes when Bryce woke up to the sound of the TV. He groaned in pain as he pushed himself off of the couch. He hated sleeping in his work clothes. He hated sleeping in his work clothes on his couch in his own apartment even more. But it was becoming more and more normal these days.

“Keiki, can you turn that thing down?” he said, still half asleep. He lifted both his arms and gave them each a stretch. Keiki wasn’t paying attention. She was busy playing with her phone. No, wait. It was his phone.

“Hey, what do you think your best assets are?” she asked. Bryce was exhausted. He didn’t have the capacity to process what was happening so he stared at her blankly. “Never mind. I’ll just put ‘my confidence and my winning smile’. And...done.”

“What’s going on, Keiki?”

“Nothing. Just fixed your dating app profile,” she said, her eyes never leaving Bryce’s phone screen. “Ooh, she’s pretty. Eh, but she kinda looks like your ex. Next up-”

Bryce mustered what little energy he had left and dashed towards Keiki, his hand reaching for his phone but Keiki deftly got out of the way.

“I’m not kidding, Keiki. Give it back.”

“I’ve been here for more than a year now and I’ve never seen you date anyone.” She kept dodging Bryce effortlessly while continuing to swipe left and right on his phone. “At least no one for more than a week!”

“Come on, Keiki. What makes you even think I’ve got the time for that?” Bryce tried to sneak around the kitchen counter but Keiki was two steps ahead of him. “I’m too busy with work and taking care of you.”

“Exactly. I’m not a child, Bryce. Dating someone for more than a week might keep you from going all mother hen on me 24/7.” Keiki managed to maintain some distance from Bryce while she surveyed another profile.

“Can you really blame me?” Bryce said. He sat on the armrest of the couch and brushed the hair out of his face before breaking into his signature boyish grin. “I’m just making up for lost time, showing my baby sister how much I’ve missed her.”

“You don’t seriously believe that would work on me, do you?” Keiki laughed. “Hey, this is the same Raf who works as a paramedic, right? I remember you introduced us that one time I came to visit you at work.” She showed Bryce the photo of Raf in a baseball jersey. His sudden realization of what Keiki was about to do made him reach for one of the decorative pillows and run towards her. Keiki immediately headed in the opposite direction, still clutching the phone tightly in her hands.

“Keiki, don’t you dare!”

“What, you two were making eyes at each other so much it was like I wasn’t even there,” Keiki teased.

“Wait, do you think he’s- No. You’re just making it up.”

“Oh my god, you totally have a huge crush on him! All the more reason you should be happy I’m doing this for you!” She leaped over the couch right before Bryce closed the distance between them.

“I swear I’m gonna call mom and ask her to come pick you up.”

“You and I both know you wouldn’t dare.”

“Okay, okay. I give up already. I’m too tired for this.” Bryce raised his hands in surrender. “Name your price. Just please give me my phone back.”

It was true, the idea of asking Rafael out on a date had crossed his mind. He just never thought Raf would be interested in him. First off, Rafael was a genuinely good guy. And being good came so naturally to him, no second-guessing himself. Bryce used to believe he was the most confident man he knew before he met Rafael.

He felt like he never stood a chance.

“I have your word, then? You’ll give me anything?” Keiki asked, but she never let her guard down. “Even concert tickets to see Avery Wilshere?”

“Yes.” Bryce groaned. “You have my word.”

Keiki signaled Bryce right before she tossed his phone towards him and he caught it with both hands.

“No take-backs because I already swiped right, like, after I showed you his picture.”

Bryce rubbed his eyes in frustration. He unlocked his phone, slightly thankful for the fact that at least users won’t be able to see who swiped right on them unless it was mutual. So far so good. A few seconds later, he got a message from Raf through the dating app. He stared at Keiki in disbelief but he was smiling. For real, this time.

“Cheer up, loser,” said Keiki. “It’s a match!”


End file.
